


Light in the Dark

by snowynight



Category: Marvel
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, War Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-13
Updated: 2011-06-13
Packaged: 2017-10-20 09:14:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/211152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowynight/pseuds/snowynight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It is in cloud of pain that Lieutenant Anthony Stark sees him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Light in the Dark

It was in cloud of pain that Lieutenant Anthony Stark saw him.

He was a soldier in a torn and old uniform, but his head held high and had striking eyes. There was blood on his uniform, but also a calm air surrounding him that made him out of place in the chaos in hospital.

"Who're you?"

"Private Steve Rogers, sir."

"Why're you here? You seem good."

"Not yet. They said I need to stay for awhile."

Was it possible that this soldier had shell shock? Tony didn't ask about it and just said, "Well, then we can keep each other company. Talk to me about anything."

Steve hesitated, then he asked, "Have you read Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler?"

"No. Tell me about it. What kind of story is it? Better not so literary."

Steve said shyly, "It's a pulp mystery, with the lead called Marlowe." Then he narrated the plot. It sounded interesting though the details of the mansions hit closer to home than he wanted to admit, but the most important thing was Steve's voice.

Steve's voice was steady and calm, with a familiar hard New York accent. Tony drunk in his voice feeling it flowed over him and then he slept, half forgetting his pain.

When he woke up again, Steve wasn't here. Tony was too proud to ask about him. He tried a smile at the nurse, who washed him matter-of-factually. It said something that he couldn't even think of a way to flirt. Heaven, he hated it. He hated being so useless.

The second time he saw Steve Tony just woke up from a nightmare: pungent smell of burning rubber, gun shots, and a spike of pain..... He woke up covered with sweat and saw Steve at the end of the bed, stretching out a hand and then retreating it.

Don't, don't ask me about it, Tony thought. But Steve just sat by his side and asked, "Do you want me to read something to you? I found that it helped me."

"All right."

Tony saw Steve several times, and the constant was that Steve always showed up at night, when Tony was at his lowest point. They started to talk about themselves: Steve from a complex in Lower East Side, Tony from Manhattan; Steve walked up hill in snow in both ways; Tony was chauffeured everywhere. They came from different worlds, but the war brought them together, well and a shared love of pulp fiction. Steve loved mystery, with two-fisted detectives while Tony loved Issac Asimov. They talked about the war, cursing the enemies and food, and kept not talking about their future.

One night when Tony was saying something silly. Steve laughed, making him young, and his voice like a deep tingles of bell. Tony looked at him and found that he was in love.

He had had male lovers, before and in the war, but their friendship was so tentative and his only life line here. The exposed environment of the military hospital wasn't conductive to taking any further action about it, and although Tony hated thinking about it, their parting would come too soon, when the time came for either of them to return to the front or home. 

So Tony said nothing.

But he could fantasize about his friend, in the safe refines of his mind. They never touched, but Tony loved to think of Steve's lovely big capable hands, all over him. Would it be slight calloused, because of the handling of guns? How would they feel on his skin? Tony was certain that Steve's hands would work magic on him, the shape of his hand on him leaving a print, and he better not think any more if he didn't want to embarrass himself.

When Tony was finally allowed to leave, he leaned on his cane and saw Steve waiting.  
"Are you going too?" Tony asked.

  
Steve smiled sadly, "Not yet."

"I'll miss you." Tony said.

Steve smiled, "I'll miss you too."

Tony stood here and when he left, his head kept turning back.

 

There was no one there now.


End file.
